The numbers tell a stark story
Hunger has become one of the most pressing challenges for children in Canada. In 2024, nearly 10 million Canadians, including 2.5 million children, lived in food-insecure householdsi. This crisis is especially stark in Toronto, where more than one in ten Torontonians now rely on food banks—and nearly one-quarter are childrenii.
Behind these numbers are families doing everything they can, yet still unable to shield their children from hunger.
Take Mahmud, a father of two young children who works as a security guard on minimum wage.
“My situation is going from bad to worse,” he says. “I earn $2,300-2,400 per month, but because of the job, my health is suffering. The childcare benefit helps but is not enough. Children need so many things; and they are very expensive. The prices of milk, fruits, chicken have gone up. Just recently I found out that my second baby’s shoes don’t fit, so I had to buy new ones. Then there are other expenses: groceries, phone bill, etc. I depend on the food bank for groceries. My wife can’t work because she can’t speak English, and the waitlist for language courses is too long. Wish I could get more hours at work.”
Hunger impacts children in many ways
Research shows that children living with food insecurity are 75% more likely to be hospitalized and twice as likely to need care for mental health or substance use challenges. Even in the earliest years, hunger can hinder brain development, creating learning gaps that persist throughout life.
Food insecurity is also linked to weaker academic performance, difficulty in forming relationships, and greater challenges with behaviour and emotional regulation. Over time, the cycle of hunger limits children’s ability to reach their full potentialiii.
Meeting the immediate need
Daily Bread Food Bank works in partnership with over 130 member agencies and more than 205 food programs to provide more than 90% of emergency food across Toronto.
One of our network members, College Montrose Children’s Place, runs programs for children and families. Community Programs Manager Sherlyne Fletcher, shares:
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we responded to urgent community needs by opening a food bank. What began as an emergency measure has evolved into an essential service, as food insecurity continues to affect many families in our community. At its peak, we supported over 260 households in just four hours. As an organization committed to early learning and family support, we understand that a child’s ability to thrive is closely tied to their overall well-being — and that includes access to nutritious food.”
We are also proud to support the City of Toronto’s vision for a Universal School Food Program, through which the City has committed to provide a morning meal in every Toronto school by 2026/27 school year and a lunch program by 2030.
But turning this vision into reality requires sustained investment from all levels of government.
Daily Bread is calling on the federal government to make the National School Food Program permanent by enshrining it in legislation and committing $1 billion over five years, with cost-of-living increases and dedicated infrastructure funding to help schools deliver it. We are also urging the provincial government to boost annual funding to the Student Nutrition Program by $115 million, raising per-student support from 10 cents to the national median of 39 cents per day.
Addressing child hunger requires long-term solutions
Food insecurity is not simply about food — it is a direct consequence of poverty. In 2023, child poverty in Canada rose from 9.9% to 10.7%, the highest level since 2017iv. That means 1.4 million children are now growing up below the poverty line, with Toronto having the highest rate among major cities and some neighbourhoods reporting poverty rates as high as 61%. v
To break the cycle of hunger, we must address the root causes of poverty — by raising social assistance above the poverty line, building and protecting affordable housing, and ensuring access to decent, living-wage jobs.
No child should grow up hungry in a country as wealthy as Canada. The solutions are within our reach, but they require meaningful government action. Together, we can build a future where every child can learn, grow, and thrive.
Use our online tool to demand action from all levels of government to end food insecurity and poverty.
